As internet connections continue to increase in speed and bandwidth, so advertising has become richly interactive, especially now, as slower dialup services  are being replaced by faster broadband networks.

In 2008, over 90% of American households had access to a broadband setup.

#1 Advantages

The advantages of online marketing are myriad. Chief among them is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to other types of marketing, especially when you compare cost with the scope of the target audience. For a comparatively reduced advertising budget, companies can now reach a far larger demographic.

Customers can shop at their own convenience, and are able to research products and prices from the comfort of their own home, rather than having to traipse around brick-and-mortar stores.

Owing to the very nature of the internet, marketers can measure all sorts of statistics pertaining to the success of their online marketing campaigns. For example, they can track the number, length and frequency of website visits, and which pages were visited and for how long. Information such as this is incredibly useful in designing a marketing website and for implementing and testing strategies to encourage customer base growth.

photo courtesy of Steve Rhodes

#2 Disadvantages

Although dialup connection services appear to be on the way out, mobile devices have taken over as broad band’s weaker cousin. The more limited connectivity and reduced hardware performance require businesses to similarly temper their online multimedia marketing extravaganzas to cater to this massively pervasive medium. A balance must be struck between catering to the PC based platforms and mobile devices. Many companies, as a way of dealing with this dichotomy, release their own stripped-down applications for mobile devices so the user can experience a similar level of presentation without the problems that occur when a limited capacity device struggles to cope with broadband-focused material.

Another disadvantage of  online marketing is the consumer cannot gain first hand experience of a physical product before he or she buys it. For example, you cannot try on a sweater you buy online. Many companies combat this shortfall by employing rigorous return policies and in-store pickups.

Security issues are also a concern for many online consumers. The transfer of personal information over the internet is ripe for exploitation by unscrupulous merchants who can sell or give your information to other companies. Generally, the bigger and more well-known the company, the lesser the security risk.

Online marketing has become the storefront process for many of the world’s largest companies. In this current climate of connectivity, any company without an online presence may as well not exist. To many, it is by far the most important part of their marketing strategy.

()

()

()

A lot of small business owners confuse a marketing strategy with an advertising campaign, which is entirely not the case; an ad campaign is the means by which a marketing strategy is implemented. Some are created to target a specific area of a market, but most small businesses utilize more generic plans, though it is important to understand the purpose and goals of any strategy you create.

Attracting Consumer Confidence

Consumers need to know about a product before they buy it, so your business must devise a marketing campaign that focuses on the value and quality of your product. Once consumers are made aware of your product, only then will they buy it.

Building Awareness

Customers will obviously not buy your product if they are unaware of it, so your marketing strategy could include saturating the radio airways, the internet, magazines, television and newspapers with ads. Creating awareness of your company name and logo will raise your profile in whichever community you target and generate interest in your product. Advertising campaigns like these cost money, though, so a budget must be balanced by prospective sales. If you spend too much it is ultimately self-defeating.

Emotional Marketing

The decision to buy contains a significant emotional component. Large business with huge budgets invest millions in trying to inspire emotional reactions to their product, because they know that once a customer is emotionally attached, brand loyalty takes over and they have not only a repeat customer, but someone who will freely advertise their product by word of mouth.

Overcoming Objections

The sales team are usually the guys whose job it is to circumvent a customer’s resistance to making a purchase. You can, however, build this tactic into your marketing strategy by emphasizing criteria in your advertising that informs the customer before he steps onto the sales floor. Positively reinforcing criteria such as endorsements, testimonials and warranties can answer a lot of objections before the customer even encounters a salesperson.

Use Deadlines

Customers experience a significant increase in motivation to buy when you cap offers on your product with a deadline. Marketing strategies containing such ideas as limited supplies and temporary special offers can introduce a sense of urgency to the customer, and may even jumpstart a floundering business.

Most, if not all, of these ideas are fairly straightforward. Marketing strategy is not as intimidating as one might first think. Apply a little forethought by introducing these ideas to your business model and you should expect a significant growth in sales.

For instance, suppose you have a piece of property that is in a great location and you would like to sell it. Do you think it is going to be hard to find buyers for this property? It will be much easier if you have the correct website content.

Make It Short

If you wish to sell a product, then you want to keep it short, sweet and to the point. Don’t horse around with words that do not provide information.

If you do, the reader is going to get bored and just exit the page. If you have an obsession with keywords and keyword density, then you should stop. In many cases, the overuse of keywords and keyword phrases is what destroys the relevancy of your content. Don’t make this common mistake.

Results of SEO

If you really want to be number one on a search engine’s directory listings, then search engine optimization (SEO) is the way to go. However, make sure that you do not overdo it too much. You will want to make sure that the repetition of your keywords does not interfere with the main message you are trying to deliver to your readers.

If you want search engine friendly copy without sacrificing the relevancy of your content, then you may want to consider hiring a copywriter that is an expert at SEO writing. When it comes to getting quality content for your website, you should never underestimate the value of an SEO copywriter.

If you decide to hire a professional writer to prepare your website content, you are unlikely to ever regret it.

When it comes to having good website content, be certain that you have relevant, optimized text on every page. Yes, pictures are good for a web page too, but search engines are not really looking for images. If you do SEO the right way, you can count on having web pages that will earn higher rankings. Make sure you do not have SEO just on your homepage; you want it on all of your web pages.

Remember it is your business that will be earning profits and that SEO is the right way to achieve the high directory ranking that will draw individuals from search engines straight to your website.